http://www.theverge.com/2013/3/9/4082036/nokia-sec-filing-microsoft-smartphone-hints?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+WinRumors+%28WinRumors%29 I hope it is not true. I do not see a reason why this is needed. but I do hope ms do something about voice navigation. Nokia drive sucks. It told me to drive to the wrong destination. Good thing I doubled checked because the destination is 30 miles off. And no, that is launched from the correct Bing map direction list, so there is no excuse. And I really dislike Nokia Drive, following its direction is killing my brain cells. Just tell me to go 405 N, instead of some whacked freeway name with no N or S. Tell me stay on the right? Yeah why? And there are many lanes on the right? Which one is it? The designed makes my driving so much more dangerous when I am following its direction without knowing where I should be driving to. Please bring back WP7.5 navigation, please.

Why the heck would Nokia be concerned about Microsoft abandoning Windows Phone? True, their wagon is currently hitched to the WP platform, but there's no reason to believe that Microsoft building a phone would mean anything negative for WP itself. That article doesn't make sense.

@kettch: it doesn't imply MS abandon WP. It is just saying there is another rumor floating around, which I agree, appending extra rumors in the same article can cause certain confusions. Nokia wasn't concerned about that, Nokia was concerned about MS making their own Surface phone, which implies MS will be less active helping OEMs such as Nokia to grow.

@MasterPie: I am saying I hope MS don't make a Surface Phone. But Nokia is partially at fault with its sucky Nokia Drive. And I hope MS fix that problem instead by reactivating WP7.5 navigation feature.

Nokia states "if Microsoft reduces investment in that operating system or discontinues it, our smartphone strategy would be directly negatively affected by such acts." This scenario is far less likely than a Surface phone, but it's a new admission by Nokia regardless.

While the article does admit that it's basically CYA language that's normal for an SEC filing, yet they still point it out as unusual.

I think as usual, the Blogosphere is reading to much into something because "Oh crap, it's been 29.6 minutes since our last "news" somebody come up with a story quick. Jones! Grab the laxatives. You know what to do."

However, I don't see a problem with Microsoft making a phone. It can only serve to drive the others to come out with better devices. The industry needs a good kicking.

If Microsoft is going to build anything, I hope they build a phablet. I mean, who doesn't enjoy using the word phablet in casual conversation? If you thought people were confused about Windows RT, you haven't seen nothing.

The real question here is Microsoft's intent. If they want to nudge the market like Google does with it's Nexus brand that's one thing. If they want to try and own the market for Windows Phones like Apple that would be an issue for most OEMs I would think. Ballmer said Microsoft is now a device and services company so I'd have to believe they would be more Apple leaning.

Also in the mix is what's going on with the creation of a unified API between W8 and WP8 (which should have been the case at launch of WP8 IMO). There's a number of questions that raises:

Will they expand WinPRT on WP8 to support more of the WinRT APIs?

Will they unify the controls across the two so you can write scaleable UI similar to how the ribbon adjusts based on screen size?

Will they do away with WinPRT entirely and get some form of WinRT to run on WP8?

What about all of the phone APIs in WinPRT? Will the port those to WinRT so they can make 7 inch phablets?

What about the low-end phones? Will they be able to run WP8 w/WinRT? Maybe they have to keep the slimmer WP8/WinPRT just for that market?

I think Microsoft has an opportunity if they can get the merger of these APIs right to provide developers with a great unified runtime that will allow them to more easily get products out for both the tablet and phone and in the process add more to the WinRT stable of apps. It also should allow a more seamless consumption experience between device types since W8 and WP8 will all be running from the same stack -- unless of course they still want to ding you for media purchases on each device type as it is today.

In the end if Microsoft is serious about getting Windows RT mainstream IMO they really need to unify the W8 & WP8 worlds. It seems like they want to be able to build a laptop/tablet hybrid replacement but in a more ARM-like format that the beastly Surface Pro of today. That means porting Office to WinRT (which is seems they are doing) and getting developers to bust out a ton of WinRT apps. Can you imagine something like the ASUS Transformer (say 13") running Windows RT with OfficeMX? Sure they'll have to water down the experience to run on ARM much like they've done with OneNote but I bet there are a lot of Office workers that it would suit just fine.

So were does that leave OEMs like Nokia? Frankly I think they're just fine for a few more years. Microsoft has shown that they are willing to release products long before the provide any competitive advantage so I surmise that it will take some time to get the whole WindowsNEXT story right -- provided that it isn't too little too late already. I mean look at the Surface Pro: it's the best laptop/almost tablet on the market today but IMO it isn't going to fill the bill for many desktop or laptop users today. You put it in strictly the tablet market and it's overpriced, too big, and doesn't have enough apps relative to its competitors. It's a great first try but its a solution looking for a problem IMO.

@spivonious: that's would be a natural evolution of windows. I just hope they can still keep the WP model when try switch, aka, tight hardware control, no OS tempering, single 3rd party app, restricted background process model that avoids a lot of spyware that typically plague other OS.

@spivonious: that's would be a natural evolution of windows. I just hope they can still keep the WP model when try switch, aka, tight hardware control, no OS tempering, single 3rd party app, restricted background process model that avoids a lot of spyware that typically plague other OS.

I think they are pretty close to that if they stick with ARM/Windows RT. It's my understanding that WinRT apps are pretty tightly sandboxed.

Yet another platform for phones? Just when you think it's safe to write an app, MS terminates the platform.

What about going the other way? Kill WinRT and extend WP to tablets.

But you could use the same platform to write for the phone and the tablet: WinRT. They could include an emulator for the WP7/WP8 platforms to ease the transition, but I think WinRT would do great on a phone.